God’s Profits: How The Religious Right Uses The ‘Prosperity Gospel’ To Win Foot Soldiers

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God’s Profits: How The Religious Right Uses The ‘Prosperity Gospel’ To Win Foot Soldiers And Continue Its ‘Culture War’

Researcher Sarah Posner has been following the Religious Right for several years and writes a blog called The FundamentaList for The American Prospect. Her new book, God’s Profits: Faith, Fraud, and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters (PoliPointPress, 2008) examines the role advocates of the “prosperity gospel” play in the Religious Right.

16/04/08 "ICH" --- - Posner talked recently with Church & State about her research and the status of the Religious Right today.

Q. Many people think of the prosperity gospel as a movement that attempts to link Christianity to hyper-capitalism and the collection of wealth. You assert these ministries play a political role as well. What role does the prosperity gospel play in the Religious Right?

A. When George H.W. Bush was preparing to run for president in 1988, his evangelical advisor, Doug Wead, prepared a list of 1,000 “targets” – religious leaders of influence worth courting for the votes of their followers. The list included a lot of names you’d expect – Robertson, Falwell, and other household names, but also included some of the most prominent prosperity gospel evangelists, notably Kenneth Copeland and Paul Crouch, the head of the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The courting of these prosperity televangelists by politicians continues today, as we have seen Mike Huckabee touting his close relationship with Copeland, and John Hagee and Rod Parsley campaigning with John McCain. In tune with the Religious Right, they take ultra-conservative positions on issues like abortion, gay marriage, separation of church and state, and other social issues, and actively encourage their followers to vote.

Q. In your new book, God’s Profits, you discuss Ohio pastor Rod Parsley, who has labored to make an impact on statewide politics. Parsley’s favored candidate for governor, Ken Blackwell, was soundly defeated in 2006. Does this mean Parsley has lost political influence? What are his goals and what are the chances he could become a national figure as well known as the late Jerry Falwell?

A. It’s certainly Parsley’s goal to be a successor to Falwell. He proudly accepted an honorary doctorate from Liberty University last year. (Parsley doesn’t even have an undergraduate degree, so this was quite an honor, to say the least). He has said he sees his Center for Moral Clarity, the political arm of his church, as the successor to Falwell’s Moral Majority.

Certainly many observers thought Parsley’s influence was on the wane after Blackwell was trounced in the 2006 gubernatorial race. And although Blackwell’s defeat could be chalked up to other factors – particularly the raft of corruption scandals plaguing Ohio Republicans – there was a group of prominent moderate Republicans who came out against Blackwell because of his religion-baiting.

That said, Parsley’s name is still on the tips of conservative tongues as a religious kingmaker in the race for the White House, and McCain campaigned with Parsley, whom he called a “spiritual guide,” in Ohio in March.


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